Arizona: Tucson Homeowner Kills Intruder

Tuscon, Arizona

From KOLD of February 29, 2008

Tucson Homeowner Kills Intruder

A deadly shootout between burglars and a homeowner took place Thursday night just after nine on Tucson's east side, near I-10 and Wilmot Road.

Police say three men busted into a home in a quiet new neighborhood. They then shot the homeowner in the arm; the homeowner returned fire and hit one of the burglars, who later died at a hospital. According to Tucson police, when they arrived the 29 year-old home owner and his two year old daughter had taken refuge in a bathroom. The home owner suffered minor injuries, and the little girl was not hurt.

Police are looking for two suspects, but have not released a description. Investigators said they do not know what the relationship is between the home owner and the suspects.

Texas: Burglary Suspect Shot Dead In East Oak Cliff

Dallas, Texas

From CBS11 of February 27, 2008

Burglary Suspect Shot Dead In East Oak Cliff

A recent rash of burglaries in the east Oak Cliff area of Dallas may be over after a suspect was shot dead on Wednesday morning.

The incident started Tuesday night, when someone threw a brick through the window of a home, located in the 2200 block of Scotland Drive in the east Oak Cliff area of Dallas. The home belongs to an elderly father by the name of Otis Fagan Sr.

According to Fagan Sr., he's been burglarized six times in the last six months. His son, Otis Fagan Jr., had come over on Tuesday to help board up the window. He drove past the house again several times Tuesday night to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.

While driving past the house at about 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, Fagan Jr. noticed a beam of light coming from the backyard. He stopped to check things out and discovered a man inside the backyard tool shed.

Fagan Jr. confronted 43-year-old Gerald Foley, the suspected burglar, with a gun. Police say Foley had $2,000 worth of Fagan's property. According to police, the suspect then attacked Fagan Jr., who fired off possibly four bullets.

After the encounter, the suspect fled the scene down an alleyway and fell dead into Bakari Thomas' yard, a neighbor on Locust Street.

"It's very scary," said Thomas. There's only so much you can do when you got a house, and you try to be safe in your own home."

CBS 11 News spoke with the elderly father on Wednesday afternoon. He said that he did not see anything, but heard noises outside in the moments just before the shooting. Fagan Sr. also said that he had triggered his home security alarm in hopes of scaring away the suspected burglar, but that it did not work.

According to his sister, Fagan Jr. was licensed to carry the gun. Attempts to speak with Fagan Jr. were not successful. He rushed inside the home before issuing a comment.

"He's under a lot of stress and inner pain associated with what all took place, but hopefully the Lord will see us all through," said Fagan Sr.

Both generations of Fagans were taken to police headquarters on Wednesday for questioning. Police have said that this appears to be a legal shooting, but are continuing to investigate the case. In the meantime, police have not charged anyone with a crime, but they will refer the incident to a grand jury, as is routine.

"What the individual did – he was protecting his parents property – was absolutely not a crime," said Dallas Police Lt. Craig Miller.

Pennsylvania: W. Hazleton woman scares off intruder

West Hazleton, Pennsylvania

From the Standard Speaker of February 28, 2008

W. Hazleton woman scares off intruder

A burglar fled a West Hazleton home when a resident got a pistol and took a shot at the man Tuesday evening, borough police said.

The incident happened at an East Broad Street home just before 7 p.m., according to the victim, Terri Gavinski. She and her husband, Dave Gavinski, who was at work when the home invasion occurred, talked about her frightening experience Tuesday night.
Terri Gavinski she was relaxing watching TV, when she heard a noise and saw the figure of a man standing at the edge of the hallway leading into her living room.
She said to the man, “Please don’t hurt me.” He responsed by referring to her in a derogatory manner.

She said the man’s head was completely covered with a forest green bandana and it partially covered his face. He also wore dark gloves, possibly black and dark pants, she said.

Terri Gavinski estimated he was roughly 6 feet tall and a bit more muscular. The intruder apparently gained entrance through the side door of their home in the 200 block of East Broad Street.

Terri Gavinski said he demanded cash and valuables.

She again asked him not to hurt her and said her husband had coins and guns that he used for hunting in a case upstairs. He ordered her upstairs and continued to tell her not to withhold any money she might have.

He ordered her to put the coins in bags. While she was doing that, he began to ransack the upstairs.

“He was just throwing our stuff around and opening up drawers. He didn’t seem interested in his rifles in the gun case,” Gavinski said.

The victim said that while the intruder went through their stuff, she went into another bedroom where she spotted a loaded gun her husband had on the gun cabinet.
“At this point I’m a bit foggy about what happened, but he didn’t see me pick up the gun and we walked downstairs with these heavy bags of coins. He had one bag and I had the other and he ordered me to bring it into the kitchen,” she said.

As he was about to go out the side entrance where he came in, she said she took the gun out of her housecoat, raised it and fired a round. The intruder, she said, dropped the bag of coins and ran out.

She knew she didn’t hit him, but she scared him enough to flee to a car parked in the rear of their home, she said.

Her husband said the bullet exited the home through the rear kitchen window into the back garage.

“I called 911 and within a minute the West Hazleton police arrived,” she said.
Later, Hazleton police and state police were at her home helping out. After calling police she called her husband at work and he was home within minutes.
It is a night Terri Gavinski won’t soon forget.

“I am not a gun person. My husband is. He is a hunter and always keeps two loaded guns in the house,” she said.

Kentucky: Hebron Man Shoots Himself in Foot

Hebron, Kentucky

From Local 12 WKRC of February 26, 2008

Hebron Man Shoots Himself in Foot

Police are investigating a shooting in Hebron this morning.

49 year old Leonard Gibbons was shot around 11 a.m. in the 2800 block of Donjoy Drive. Gibbons tells officers he heard his garage door open and took a gun to investigate.

Gibbons says when he got to the family room he was attacked from behind by a man wearing a black hood and ski mask with black driving gloves.

The revolver in Gibbons hand discharged, striking him in the inner thigh and foot.

The intruder reportedly took Gibbons money and ran out the garage door. Gibbons was transported to University Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

California: Motorcycle Shop Owner Shoots At Intruder

Bakersfield, California

From KERO of February 26, 2008

Motorcycle Shop Owner Shoots At Intruder

Police are still looking for a burglar who may have been shot by a business owner in central Bakersfield Tuesday morning.

The Bakersfield Police Department said an alarm tipped off the owner at about 4:30 a.m. at a motorcycle repair shop on Chester Lane.

Police said when he arrived, he noticed someone inside the garage. They said the man then charged at the owner, who managed to get off several rounds from a pistol.

It's unknown if the man was hit. The man escaped.

Contra Costa Man Released For Self-Defense Shooting

Contra Costa County, California

From February 25, 2008 CBS channel 5:

CONTRA COSTA CO.: SUSPECT IN BAY POINT KILLING SHOT ROOMMATE IN SELF-DEFENSE

A Bay Point man arrested last week on suspicion of fatally shooting his roommate was released from jail Friday after prosecutors decided the slaying was in self-defense, Contra Costa County Sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said today.

Andrew Mahler, 33, was detained for questioning Tuesday shortly after sheriff's deputies found his roommate on the sidewalk in front of their residence at 44 Pensacola St. in the unincorporated community of Bay Point suffering from a gunshot wound, Lee said.

The roommate, 31-year-old William Lenox, was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Concord where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy found that he died form a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Lee said.

The shooting had reportedly occurred inside the roommates' residence, Lee said. Mahler had then allegedly gone over to a neighbor's house and either he or the neighbor called for help shortly after 5:30 p.m.

Deputies took Mahler to the station to question him and then officially arrested him at about 10:45 p.m., Lee said. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on suspicion of murder, but when investigators presented the case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's office Friday, prosecutors declined to file charges and Mahler was released Friday afternoon, Lee said.

North Carolina: Man Shot in Robbery Attempt

Charlotte, North Carolina

From WCNC of February 25, 2008

Shooting ends man's life of crime

A Charlotte family is grieving after they say their loved one was shot to death by a man he was trying to rob.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police responded to an armed robbery call at the Cricket cell phone store at the Catawba Village shopping center on Mount Holly – Huntersville Road Saturday night.

There, they found a man shot. Medic declared that man dead on the scene, and the only other person in the store was the store’s manager, who wasn’t hurt.

Family members identified the dead man as 54-year-old James Henry Brewer.

His mother broke down in tears in front of the store Saturday night and screamed his name.

"Who killed my son? Who killed my son? James Henry. James Henry," cried Mary Brewer Givens.

Police had not confirmed the man’s identity Sunday, but Givens said it was her son.

“We all stood there until they brought my son out of the Cricket place,” she recalled, “zipped up in that dead bag.”

Givens told WCNC Sunday that she knows what her son went into the store to do.

“The police told my grandson he had a mask and a gun when he went in there,” said Givens. She knows it’s not the first time he’s had trouble with the law.

A North Carolina Department of Corrections website shows James Henry Brewer has a record back to a kidnapping conviction in 1974, when he was 19.

Three other armed robbery convictions show up since then – the last in 1992. The DOC website said Brewer was released from prison in 2001.

Brewer’s wife, Tamara, said her husband worked in construction for three years after his release, and then stayed home to take care of her.

Tamara Brewer said she has diabetes, and her husband donated a kidney to her for a transplant.

She didn’t deny her husband may have been robbing the store. She said he is a good man who made a “wrong decision.”

“He’s in a better place,” said Tamara Brewer. “It was his time.”

Givens, James Henry Brewer’s mother, said he may be responsible for other cell-phone store robberies, and may have had an accomplice who hasn’t been caught.

Police weren’t available Sunday to confirm family members' details.

Further links:
Man Shot in Robbery Attempt

Indianapolis Man Shoots Apparent Car Thief

Indianapolis, Indiana

From February 23, 2008 WISH channel 8:

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Metro Police say a homeowner shot a man in self-defense outside his eastside home Saturday morning. But it's not the man's first time using a gun.

...

Metro Police were called by a homeowner, Richard Burns, who said he had just shot a man behind his Brookville Road home.

"Apparently he heard a noise outside, went outside to see what was going on, and related to the detectives that this individual came at him with a knife, and which time he fired a shot," IMPD Sgt. Paul Thompson said.

Burns told detectives the man he shot was coming out of his car, perhaps trying to steal it.

The victim was hit in the chest and taken to Wishard Hospital in serious condition. While doctors work to save the victim's life, detectives work to figure out a complex case.

Police will determine if this shooting was indeed self-defense. What they'll also look at is the fact that Mr. Burns has been involved in two other shootings, this year alone.

Florida: Altamonte Springs Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder

Altamonte Springs, Florida

From Central Florida News of February 23, 2008

Altamonte Springs Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder

Seminole County deputies said a homeowner shot and killed a teen who was trying to break into his home overnight.

Deputies said Ryan Realford, 17, approached an undercover deputy's car in the East Altamonte Springs community with an unidentified substance in his hand.

They said when the teen recognized the person in a car was a deputy, he ran into a nearby backyard and tried to break into a home.

A homeowner said Realford removed a locked screen door and was trying to enter his house through a sliding glass door.

The homeowner said he asked Realford to leave. When he would not, the homeowner told deputies he shot him.

Realford was taken to the hospital where he died.

Deputies said it's not likely that the homeowner will face charges.

Los Angeles Burglar Shot By Victim

Los Angeles, California

From the February 22, 2008 Torrance (California) Daily Breeze:

An intended burglary victim shot at four men breaking into a business in the Harbor Gateway area early this morning.

Los Angeles Police spokesman Richard French said the suspects reportedly entered a building at 18710 S. Normandie Avenue at about 5:30 a.m. Someone in the building, who was described as a victim, fired an unknown amount of rounds at the suspects, French said.

One of the suspects was shot in the hip and taken to a nearby hospital after police arrived. A second suspect was taken into custody, but two suspects got away, French said.

The victim was not injured.

French did not say whether the suspects were attempting to burglarize a marijuana dispensary that is located in that building.

Dardanelle, Arkansas Home Intruder Shot & Killed

Dardanelle, Arkansas

From the February 22, 2008 Russellville, Arkansas Courier:

A Dardanelle man is dead after he and an unidentified accomplice apparently broke into a residence off State Highway 22 near Dardanelle late Wednesday night, authorities said Thursday.

Yell County Sheriff Bill Gilkey confirmed one of the home’s occupants shot and killed Mike Jensen, 44, after Jensen and another man allegedly entered the residence by kicking in the front door.

Four people were inside the home at the time of the break-in, Gilkey said.

Jensen — who after entering the home made his way down a hallway and was at the point of entering a bedroom when he was shot — was armed with an SKS assault rifle investigators later learned was not loaded, Gilkey said.

The other intruder fled the scene in a vehicle authorities recovered Thursday morning, Gilkey said, adding investigators were working to process the vehicle in hopes of learning the second man’s identity.

Gilkey said authorities do not expect any charges will be filed against the homeowner — who Gilkey said used “a shotgun” to deter Jensen — in connection with the matter.

He said the intruders’ motive was uncertain.

“We’re just assuming that they came in there to rob the family,” he said.

UPDATE: The link above is now dead, but this February 25, 2008 Today's THV tells much the same story.

Jacksonville Burglar Shot In Hand

Jacksonville, Florida

From the February 21, 2008 Jacksonville, Florida Times-Union:

– A suspected burglar who was shot in the hand Tuesday was arrested on Wednesday. Police said a man broke into an apartment in the 700 block of Shearer Avenue, near Interstate 10 and Roosevelt Boulevard. The victim, a 65-year-old man, said he grabbed a revolver near him and fired once at the man. Police said 31-year-old Joseph Brown, who matched the suspect description, was found at Baptist Medical Center being treated for a gunshot wound and was arrested.

North Carolina: Security Guard Shoots At Burglar

Castle Hayne, North Carolina

From the February 21, 2008 North Carolina Star-News:

About 8:55 p.m. Tuesday, an Inter-Pol guard spotted two men scaling a fence at a business with a history of break-ins, Guarascio said. He declined to name the business, citing confidentiality. But an official with county dispatch said Inter-Pol officers said they were at a business in the 300 block of Chesterfield Road. Guarascio said that address is near his client's business, but isn't where the incident occurred.

Inter-Pol's armed guards, who don't have arrest powers, chased the suspects into the woods, Guarascio said.

When the guards cornered the suspects, one turned and charged at them with what appeared to be a shotgun. After shouting multiple orders, a security guard fired three shots. The incident was over shortly after 9 p.m., but Inter-Pol continued to canvass the area until 11:30 p.m.

Inter-Pol officers returned Wednesday morning but found no blood trails, and no one had checked into New Hanover County hospitals with a gunshot wound, Guarascio said. He's continuing to investigate the incident and search for suspects. And while he will file a report with Private Protective Services, an oversight board with N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper's office, an outside investigation is unlikely since apparently no one was injured, Guarascio said.

Virginia: Guard Fatally Shoots Man After Scuffle at Restaurant

Springfield, Virgnia

From the Washington Post of February 22, 2008

Guard Fatally Shoots Man After Scuffle at Restaurant

A Fairfax County man, involved in a brawl outside a Springfield area restaurant, was shot to death early yesterday by a security guard who told police he was acting in self-defense.

The incident started inside Cafe Milano, in a shopping center just off Backlick Road, shortly before 1 a.m. Police said that a fight started in the bar area of the restaurant, and that a uniformed private security guard hired by the restaurant escorted one of the fighters outside.

When the 23-year-old guard and the man stepped outside, the guard told police, he was jumped by three or four other men, at least one of whom wielded a knife. Fairfax Officer Don Gotthardt said the man holding the knife was Yordy Adaud Salguero Urmeneta, 27, of the Springfield area, and that he had advanced toward the guard, whose name was not released.

The guard said that he feared for his life and fired one shot, striking Salguero Urmeneta in the stomach, Gotthardt said. Salguero Urmeneta fell, and the other men picked him up, placed him in a white van and fled.

Officers found the van parked outside of Salguero Urmeneta's house on Cather Road, with the wounded man and two others inside, Gotthardt said. Salguero Urmeneta was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he died at 5 a.m., police said.

The two men with Salguero Urmeneta when he was found were interviewed and released, and Gotthardt said they were considered suspects. The security guard, who police said was legally carrying the gun, was not charged, although the case will be presented to the Fairfax commonwealth's attorney for a decision on whether the shooting was justifiable and whether the other men should be prosecuted.

North Carolina: Would-be robber shot at restaurant

Charlotte, North Carolina

From Charlotte Observer of February 21, 2008

Would-be robber shot at restaurant

A would-be robber had life-threatening injuries after being shot by his intended victim at a northern Charlotte restaurant late Wednesday, police said.

The suspect was taken to Carolinas Medical Center after the 9:20 p.m. shooting at Floyd's Homestyle Cooking restaurant on Graham Street. Some of his bloodied clothes were strewn in the parking lot of the restaurant. Nearby, two guns lay on a sidewalk.

Police haven't released an account of what happened during the shooting, but Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Spokesman Officer Hassan Peterson said the restaurant was closed when the first officers arrived.

Police interviewed the man working at the restaurant and homicide investigators planned to interview him again late Wednesday.

It was the second time in less than three months that someone working at a business shot a potential robber.

In December, a man shot a teenager who was trying to rob his west Charlotte convenience store.

On that day, two teens walked into the Bradford Food Mart demanding money and at least one of them was armed.

So was the store's owner.

The owner and one of the suspects fired their weapons, and one of the suspects was hit in the stomach. The owner wasn't hurt and the injured teen survived.

From WBTV of February 21, 2008

Would-Be Robber Shot

A suspected robber is in the hospital after police say he was shot by his intended victim.

It happened around 9:00 Wednesday night on North Graham Street in Charlotte.

Police say the gunman tried to rob a worker in the parking lot of Floyd's Restaurant.

That worker also had a gun and shot the gunman in the face.

Medic was called to the scene and took the gunman to the hospital with very serious injuries.

No word if any charges will be filed.

Yakima Drug Dealer Shoots in Self-Defense

Yakima, Washington

From February 18, 2008 KIMA channel 29:

The sheriff's office now says Marcus Bradford would still be alive if he and two others didn't go into the Terrace Heights home with guns last week.

Investigators think the trio intended to steal drugs and money.

It's not to say the guy living at the house, Luis Acevedo, is off the hook.

But the sheriff's office believes he was just protecting his friend and baby last Thursday morning... When Bradford, Khiry Jackson and Lawrence Adams showed up at the door.

Investigators say Acevedo admitted he used to deal drugs with the suspects, but swears that stopped 8 or 9 months ago.

Jackson and Adams now have murder charges thrown on their drug and gun charges.

...

Campbell says it's possible another person's involved.

Cops are looking into it--as well as Acevedo's past.

But they say a pair of gloves found on the victim and in the getaway car indicate this was a burglary.

Memphis Security Guard Shoots Robber

Memphis, Tennessee

From the February 19, 2008 Memphis Commercial-Appeal:

An armed security guard at the AutoZone Store at 1363 Getwell shot a man attempting to rob the store tonight, Memphis police said.

The robbery suspect came into the store at 7:30 p.m., police said. He was taken in critical condition to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

Columbia County, South Carolina Burglar Shot At

Columbia County, South Carolina

From February 19, 2008 WJBF:

Columbia County, GA -- There is a $1,000 reward offered for the capture of a burglary suspect in Columbia County.

That reward is being offered by the West Lake Homeowners Association.

Investigators say the thief was confronted by a homeowner. When the thief pulled a gun, the homeowner shot at him. The thief then ran off.

Investigators say the suspect's gun was stolen from another car in the subdivision.

Tennessee: Brighton neighbor runs to women's aid, shoots and kills attacker

Brighton, Tennessee

From the Commercial Appeal of February 19, 2008

Brighton neighbor runs to women's aid, shoots and kills attacker

A Brighton man shot and killed a 44-year-old registered sex offender who attacked two women in their home early this morning, officials said.

According to Dist. Atty. Gen. Mike Dunavant, David Fleming charged into the home of two women at about 3 a.m.

Fleming bound the women but one escaped and ran to a nearby home. Dunavant said Fleming, who lived in Munford, intended to rape the women.

The woman who escaped went to the nearby home of Keith Ingram for help, Dunavant said.

Ingram, carrying a .40-caliber handgun, ran to the house and found Fleming attacking the other woman, officials said.

When Fleming tried to attack Ingram, Dunavant said Ingram shot Fleming once.

Tipton County Sheriff’s deputies and Brighton Police officers found Fleming dead on the front porch of the home.

Fleming had been convicted of attempted rape in Tipton County. He’s listed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s sex-offender registry.

Dunavant said Ingram has no criminal record and has a permit to carry the handgun.

The women who were attacked were treated at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton.

TBI officials are assisting with the case. The Shelby County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy. Investigators took statements from several witnesses today. The shooting is still under investigation.

Alabama: Burglary suspect shot as he flees

Mobile, Alabama

From the Press-Register of February 19, 2008

Burglary suspect shot as he flees

A 19-year-old man was shot in the back Sunday evening after he was caught rifling through an older model Chevrolet Caprice sitting in a Mobile auto body shop lot, police said.

The wounded man apparently didn't find much in the car, and as he fled he lost his tennis shoes, said the business owner who shot the man. The teen was taken to the hospital, but another man with him escaped, police said.

It was the second incident over the weekend in which a man was shot while believed to be committing a crime.

On Saturday, one of two men allegedly forcing their way into a Midtown home was shot and killed by either his own gun or his partner's gun as a resident struggled to keep them out of the house, police said.

Unlike the home invader, the 19-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant said.

Isaac Taylor said he was inside his business --

Taylor Made Auto Shop on Halls Mill Road -- about 6:30 p.m. when he heard something outside.

Taylor, 44, said he opened the door and surveyed a dark parking lot full of vehicles he had been hired to fix.

He said he spotted a man sitting in the Caprice. There was another man moving around inside a black four-door Honda Civic, Taylor said Monday.

Taylor said he fired his .38-caliber pistol as the two men fled. He said he then caught and tackled the 19-year-old in the driveway that the auto shop shares with Aramark Uniform Services.

"He told me his stomach was burning," Taylor said. "The way he had been running, I didn't think he had been shot."

Taylor said he called 911 when he realized that the man was wounded.

Police declined to release the 19-year-old's name Monday. The man will be arrested and charged once he is released from the hospital, Gallichant said.

Police will identify the man once investigators sign warrants against him, Gallichant said.

Taylor said he had seen the man he shot using his driveway as a short cut between Halls Mill and Navco roads. He said he didn't get a good look at the second man.

Usually no one is at the shop on Sundays, but Taylor said he was there trying to finish painting a Nissan Ultima.

"I guess they thought no one was out here," he said.

Taylor said he thought the men had rifled through several unlocked vehicles, but he didn't know if anything was taken.

He is asking his customers whether anything is missing when they come to pick up their vehicles.

Taylor said he carries a gun because of previous robberies and burglaries.

"I'm working hard every day," Taylor said Monday evening as he pulled tape off the door of the newly painted red Ultima.

In addition to the 19-year-old's tennis shoes, one of Taylor's employees found jumper cables lying in the parking lot Monday, he said.

"I hate to say this, but I kind of feel sorry for him," Taylor said.

Wisconsin: Convenience store owner stops two robbers with own gun

Racine, Wisconsin

From the Journal-Times of February 15, 2008

Convenience store owner stops two robbers with own gun

A convenience store owner who was robbed earlier this month stopped two would-be-robbers before they even reached the service counter Friday afternoon when he pulled out a handgun.

Numan Pasqualine, the owner of Quick Market at 4303 16th St., said he saw two men approaching his store on the video surveillance camera.

“I thought there was something wrong,” he said. “They had their heads down, so you couldn’t see their masks.”

The men entered the Quick Market, and one of them waved a gun. Pasqualine said he grabbed his own gun from behind the counter. “I told him to get down twice,” he said.

The man, who was standing in the corner near the entrance, and the second suspect, who was already by the door, then fled the store and ran south on Indiana Street. They didn’t take anything from the store.

Racine police were called to the convenience store at 12:16 p.m.

Reports said this is the second time the Quick Market was robbed this month. On Feb. 3, just before 7 p.m. two masked men entered the store, one armed with a handgun and robbed it.

Pasqualine said Friday he is not sure if the men who tried to rob his store were the same men who took money from him earlier this month. “I’m not sure, since they had masks.”

Kentucky: Man says shooting was self defense

Lexington, Kentucky

From the Lexington Herald-Leader of February 18, 2008

Man says shooting was self defense

A man is claiming self defense after police say he shot and killed a Montgomery County man.

Police say 27-year-old Mike Dunn fatally shot 46-year-old Greg Rudd on Sunday. Dunn tells WKYT in Lexington that he had no choice but to shoot Rudd.

Dunn says Rudd pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him before he fired.

He says he went to find out why Rudd and another man were on his property without his permission. And when he approached the men, he says they began arguing.

Police have not made an arrest in the case but they are still investigating.

Dunn says he hopes Rudd's family can forgive him.

Armed Passer-By in Pittsfield Township Stops Assault

Pittsfield Township, Michigan

From the February 14, 2008 Ann Arbor News:

Pittsfield Township police arrested three people accused of attacking a man in traffic after he earlier tried to intervene in a dispute.

The victim was outside Falsetta's Market at 2200 Pittsfield Blvd. at about 4 p.m. Wednesday when he saw a man loudly arguing with a woman and trying to push her into a van, said Detective Lt. Steve Heller.

The victim said he asked if everything was OK and told the woman she didn't have to get into the vehicle. He said the man told him to mind his own business, and they left in the van.

The victim went into a nearby store and called police before he left.

While stopped at a red light at Carpenter and Packard roads a few minutes later, the victim said the driver of the van confronted him and began yelling. He said he exited his vehicle and was punched in the face and knocked to the ground, Heller said.

Two women, including the woman he tried to help, got out of the van and began hitting and stomping the victim while he was on the ground, Heller said.

A passing motorist stopped his car, pulled a gun and demanded the trio stop beating the man, Heller said.

Police responded to several calls reporting a man holding people at gunpoint. Officers determined the man with a gun had a legitimate concealed weapons permit and was trying to help, Heller said.

Officers arrested an 18-year-old Ann Arbor man and two 19-year-old women. They were released pending charges.

The victim was not seriously injured.

Alabama: Intruder killed as he sought ex-girlfriend

Kinsey, Alabama

From the Dothan Eagle of February 17, 2008

Intruder killed as he sought ex-girlfriend

Authorities said a 38-year-old Henry County man was shot and killed over the weekend after he broke into a mobile home near Kinsey, where his ex-girlfriend was staying with another man.

Dead is Jimmy Proctor of Headland, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds after he broke into the house located in a mobile home park on Lookout Lane off Alabama 52. The shooting occurred around 11:40 p.m. Saturday.

“There had been an ongoing domestic dispute with a female living at the residence where the shooting occurred and the deceased,” said Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes. “The Sheriff’s Office has answered several domestic calls at that residence before.”

Hughes said Proctor came to the trailer, parked his vehicle at the rear of the house and forcefully entered through a rear door.

“When he got in, he made some verbal threats toward the man who shot him. The man pulled a firearm and told the guy to back off. He cocked the gun and attempted to retreat to the master bedroom/bathroom area.”

Hughes said the shooter repeatedly asked Proctor to stop. “But the suspect continued to come at him. He shot him once in the leg. The suspect kept coming and he shot him several more times with a 9 mm handgun.”

Capt. Antonio Gonzalez said authorities were called to the scene at 11:52 p.m. Proctor was shot once in the leg, twice in the torso and once in the face.

Gonzalez said it does not appear that Proctor was armed.

Proctor was transported by ambulance to Southeast Alabama Medical Center. He died about an hour later, at 12:43 a.m. Sunday, said Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd.

The shooter is not being identified by Houston County authorities. Gonzalez said he has not been charged with any crime at this point.

“We don’t know if he was the renter of the trailer house or the girl was, but someone was protecting their property,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said five or six people were in the mobile home at the time of the shooting, including several children.

It is the second time in three months a suspect has been shot and killed while breaking into a home in rural Houston County. Colie Laquad Dunlap, 20, was killed by a homeowner during a breaking-and-entering on U.S. 84 East on Dec. 8, 2007. Dunlap’s brother, Christopher Lee Dunlap, 24, was charged with burglary in the case.

The homeowner was not charged but Hughes said it would most likely be turned over to a grand jury for review.

Missouri: Ava man shot during dispute

Long Run, Missouri

From the News-Leader of February 17, 2008

Ava man shot during dispute

A 37-year-old man from Ava was shot with a 22 caliber weapon during a dispute Saturday.

The man’s name was not being released Sunday because no charges had been filed in the case.

On Saturday, The Ozark County Sheriff’s Department received a report of a domestic dispute near Longrun, a rural area in the county.

When the officers arrived, they learned a man broke into the house and was shot by the 38-year-old female in the home. After being shot, he fled the residence.

While the two were not married, they knew each other.

There have not been a lot of calls from this address, but the sheriff’s office is acquainted with the participants, said Sheriff Raymond Pace.

The male was found near Wasola several hours later and transported to Cox South Hospital in Springfield. As of Sunday, he was still in the hospital, Pace said.

Charges of burglary and assault are expected to be filed against the man on Tuesday, Pace said.

No charges are expected against the woman.

“She was defending herself. He broke into the house,” Pace said.

This is an example of how a domestic dispute can end in a “serious situation,” Pace said.

Texas: Clerk, robbery suspect exchange gunfire

Longview, Texas

From the News-Journal of February 17, 2008

Clerk, robbery suspect exchange gunfire

A woman store clerk and a would-be robber exchanged gunfire late Saturday night but police report no one was injured.

The female clerk at EZ Food Mart, 1006 North Fourth St., told police she bent down behind the counter to get some cigarettes for a customer. When she stood up, a man was standing next to the customer pointing a handgun at her.

The woman told police she ducked behind the counter as the suspect fired. She grabbed a gun that was behind the counter and as the suspect was running out of the door, she fired one shot toward him but missed.

Neither the clerk nor the suspect were injured.

Police said the suspect was wearing a red bandanna over his face.

Georgia: Would-be teen intruder shot in Macon

Macon, Georgia

From the Macon Telegraph of February 15, 2008

Would-be teen intruder shot in Macon

Macon police are investigating a shooting that happened shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday on Beech Avenue.

Macon police Capt. Jimmy Barbee said investigators believe the shooting stemmed from the sale of a stolen automobile.

An armed 14-year-old male allegedly entered a residence on Beech Avenue looking for someone.

The teenager searched the home but found no one, Barbee said. Residents were hiding in the closet.

As the teen was leaving the house, he got into a confrontation with an adult male, possibly a relative of the residents.

The teen pointed a gun at the man, according to police.

The man fired a gunshot from his own weapon, grazing the teenager in the head, police said.

The teen was taken by ambulance to The Medical Center of Central Georgia. His condition was not available late Thursday.

No charges against the man are pending. Police continue to investigate the incident.

Wilmington, Delaware Liquor Store Owner Shoots Robber

Wilmington, Delaware

From the February 15, 2008 Wilmington News Journal:

It took seven shots from Bernis Martin's Smith & Wesson M&P 9 mm pistol before the Wilmington merchant hit his target. And he felt vindicated afterward.

"I had one robbery attempt before, but he wasn't able to get anything," Martin said Thursday night, standing inside his BGM Liquor Store at 11th and Lombard streets. "This time I have some vengeance because he did get hit."

Martin was speaking the day after he fended off a robbery with his handgun, clipping one of four fleeing suspects and sending the others banging on doors crying for help.

Wilmington police took his weapon as evidence in the 10 p.m. shooting, but filed no charges against the store owner for wounding a 15-year-old suspect in the right thigh.

Police said the wounded youth was arrested at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., where he allegedly went for treatment. Three others charged with trying to rob Martin as he was leaving his store were arrested in the neighborhood.

Before their arrests, two of the suspects were heard banging on rear doors, shouting, "Open the door, let me in," said Wilmington Master Sgt. Steven Barnes.

Police said it was the 15-year-old who was later wounded who approached Martin as he was leaving the store and demanded money.

"I was startled when I saw him," Martin said. "He looked like he might have been startled, too. He had a hood covering his head and a white-and-black bandanna on his face. He said 'Give it up, old head,' " Martin, 53, said from behind the glass door that separates him from the customers he serves. Several loyal patrons came by to check on him Thursday night.

Martin said the only reason he was caught off guard was because he was headed to his second job as a technician for Chrysler in Newark. He wanted to rush to the store to get his wife some roses for Valentine's Day.

"I was behind these pillars, so I guess he couldn't see me. He said, 'What you doing?' I guess when I didn't answer he shot at me. That's when I shot back," Martin said. He said he has applied for a permit to carry the gun which he holsters on his hip.

Police said the youngster shot at Martin with a .22-caliber rifle, which they recovered in making the arrests after officers responded to a call of shots fired in the area of 10th and Pine streets.

As responding officers ran to the corner where the shooting happened, they saw two people running and chased them to rear yards in the 1000 block of Lombard St., where both were arrested.

Detectives later learned that the 15-year-old had turned up at the hospital, telling medics he was wounded in downtown Wilmington near Fifth and Orange streets. Detectives went to the hospital, interviewed the teen and brought him back to Wilmington to face charges.

The fourth participant, a 17-year-old boy, was arrested after officers raided a home in the 1000 block of Lombard St.

The two teens, along with Christopher Whittaker, 20, of the 300 block of Rolling Green, in New Castle, and Cory Clark, 20, also of the 1000 block of Lombard St., were charged with first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm during a felony, reckless endangering and conspiracy.

Texas: One Arrested In Home Burglary

Dallas, Texas

From MyFoxDFW of February 14, 2008

One Arrested In Home Burglary

Dallas police arrested one person in connection with a home burglary, but not at the crime location. In fact, no one was inside the home that SWAT police surrounded for hours Thursday afternoon.

It all started around 3 p.m. when a homeowner interrupted a burglary in progress in the 2800 block of W. 8th Street near Westmoreland Avenue. A neighbor had called him at work and told him three people were breaking into his house.

The armed homeowner, who says he has several other weapons and lots of ammunition at the house, arrived with his own weapon drawn and confronted the three intruders.

"He had a gun with him and fired a couple of rounds and he believes he struck one of them," said Sr. Cpl. Geraldo Monreal of the Dallas Police Department. "Two of the suspects fled. The third suspect ran back inside the house where he has barricaded himself inside the residence."

Police threw tear gas into the home, but later discovered it to be empty. They later found one person with gunshot wounds at Parkland Hospital and arrested him in connection with this crime. Two others are still on the run.

Texas: WWII vet sends armed burglar suspect to hospital

North Texas

From WFAA of February 13, 2008

WWII vet sends armed burglar suspect to hospital

Police said one man is in the hospital after an elderly North Texas man took action into his own hands when confronted by two armed brothers inside his home Saturday night.

Police said they believe the brothers went to 80-year-old James Pickett's home with the intent to rob him, and even possibly kill him. However, Pickett - a World War II veteran, former fighter and lifelong John Wayne devotee - wasn't about to let that happen.

It all began Saturday night when Pickett said he opened his door and two men barged inside.

"He just come through that door stabbing and beating," he said.

However, Pickett said just before he went to answer the door, he had first placed a pistol into his pocket.

"And he jumped and turned, and I shot him there," he said.

The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran, but didn't get far before calling an ambulance. One of the bullets just missed Paul Perry's spine.

"He's my hero," said one neighbor of Pickett.

"Well, I ain't got no business being a hero, by no means," he said.

Both brothers face assault, burglary and robbery charges. Deputies assured Pickett they aren't likely to get out of jail anytime soon. However, he didn't seem that worried anyhow.

"I think I'm a ten times better shot than he is," he said. "... But, they best not come back."

Oklahoma: Domestic Dispute Leads To Shooting

Tulsa, Oklahoma

From Newson6 of February 12, 2008

Domestic Dispute Leads To Shooting

The Tulsa Police Department is investigating whether a woman shot her ex-boyfriend in self-defense. It started as a domestic dispute and led to a shooting on Tuesday morning.

Officers were called to the scene near 1500 East 51st Place North around 8 a.m. Police say the woman said her ex-boyfriend had come by Monday night, slashed her tires, and then beat her.

Police say when he came back on Tuesday, she shot him four times with a .22-caliber handgun.

The man drove himself to the hospital and is expected to recover. Police say the woman was also taken to the hospital for her injuries.

Detroit Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder

Detroit, Michigan

From February 12, 2008 channel 4:

DETROIT -- A man was shot eight times and killed Monday night as he tried to rob a home on Detroit's east side, police said.Police said two men were trying to break into a home on the 5200 block of Kensington Avenue when the homeowner inside grabbed his pistol and fired.

One of the home invaders was killed and the other fled in a newer-model white Chevrolet Impala.

The homeowner's mother was sleeping in the house at the time and was not harmed. The homeowner is not expected to face charges.

Texas: Fort Bend homeowner shoots suspected thieves

Fort Bend County, Texas

From the Houston Chronicle of February 11, 2008

Fort Bend homeowner shoots suspected thieves

Two men were shot Sunday when they allegedly tried to steal auto parts from in front of a home near Stafford in Fort Bend County.

The men, whose names were not immediately known, were shot about 2:30 a.m. in the 2700 block of Oakdale Court, said Fort Bend County Sheriff's spokeswoman Terriann Carlson.

Carlson said the homeowner heard unusual sounds coming from outside his house and then saw a man approaching his front door.

The homeowner got a weapon and told a woman in the house to call police.

"In an attempt to protect themselves and their property, several persons inside the residence discharged their weapons numerous times, hitting one suspect in the head area and the second in the back," Carlson said in a released statement.

One man was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital and another man was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Both were in serious condition.

The identities of the homeowner and the others who fired weapons were not released.

The case will be sent to the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office and then will be reviewed by a grand jury.

South Carolina: Allsbroom man disarms would-be robber

Allsbroom, South Carolina

From the Allsbroom man disarms would-be robber of February 12, 2008

Allsbroom man disarms would-be robber

Last Friday was an evening for break-ins in Loris, bringing victims to believe they might be related.

Bill Kaufmann, owner of The Sod Farm, was in bed like any other evening, when he heard a knock on his front door the evening of Jan. 25.

"They were waiting on us to shut our lights off," Kaufman said.

Thinking it was his foreman, Ronnie Thompson, Kaufmann opened the door, only to find a man holding a knife and threatening to kill him.

Kaufmann, who used to train police officers, managed to get the knife away from the suspect, and get to his shotgun that he kept in his bedroom.

"I could tell by the way he was holding the knife that he had never done this kind of thing before," Kaufmann said.

When the suspect saw the gun, he ran out of the house, just about the same time that three others suspects had broken a door down to get into the trailer Kaufmann uses for the Sod Farm's office.

"They had to know where we kept the petty cash, because they went right for that drawer, but we had happened to move it, so they didn't get cash, just deposit slips," Kaufmann said.

The burglary took place just across U.S. 701 from another burglary that happened earlier that morning on Barrett St., where safe and other items had been stolen. Two suspects were arrested following that break-in.

While there have been no reports that the two are related, one of the suspects that was arrested for the Barrett St. burglary, is listed as a possible suspect on the police report for The Sod Farm break-in.

Kaufmann believes that it was someone who worked for him previously because they knew exactly where the money was kept.

"They had to know where we kept the money, we have some idea of who it could be," Kaufmann said.

As for now, Kaufmann said that they have upgraded their security system at their home and office, and hope that it will keep them safe in the future.

"It was a wake up call to us, we though the deadbolts would be enough, and it wasn't," he said.

"It was quite an alarming experience," He said.

Kaufmann, who said that he could have shot the suspect, but didn't, said that people in the area need to know what is happening so they can protect themselves as well.

"People need to know that these kids are going around, busting in on people, the next person might shoot them," Kaufmann said.

Texas: Accused clothing store robber who was shot remains in hospital

Dallas, Texas

From the Dallas Morning News of February 11, 2008

Accused clothing store robber who was shot remains in hospital

A man accused of robbing a clothing store remained in critical condition Monday after being shot by the business owner. Jerrod Jamian Royal, 20, will face a charge of aggravated robbery after he is released from the hospital, Dallas police said.

Police say three men, two of them armed, entered the Stay Fly Urban Wear store in the 7800 block of South Loop 12 about 6:40 p.m. Sunday. The store was open at the time and about five people were inside, police said.

The store owner, whose name had not been released, fired and injured Mr. Royal and possibly one of his accomplices, police said. The two other men fled in a vehicle that police later discovered in the 200 block of South Jim Miller Road.

Anyone with information can call police at 214-671-3584. The shooting will be referred to a grand jury.

Dallas Rapist Shot

Dallas, Texas

From February 9, 2008 Houston Chronicle:

Police said the man forced his way into the unlocked apartment of a 22-year-old woman around noon. Five children were in the apartment, some of whom belonged to her.

Authorities said he sexually assaulted the woman, and some of the children fled. After he laid down the knife and started getting dressed, the woman ran outside to tell her boyfriend.

The boyfriend and some others confronted the suspect in the apartment, and a fight began. Police said the fight led out into the parking lot, with an unknown number of people taking part.

The suspect in the rape eventually broke free and ran into another apartment, where he was shot.

California: Teen robber shot by intended victim

Watts, California

From ABC7 of February 10, 2008

Teen robber shot by intended victim

A teenager robber was shot and killed in Watts Saturday morning.

According to a police spokesperson, 17-year-old Joe Beck was hiding behind a pole in the 1200 block of East 140th Street, waiting to hold-up his intended victim.

Moments after approaching the victim, who was in his vehicle, Beck produced a gun and demanded money.

The victim--also armed--produced a weapon and shot the suspect in the chest. Beck later died at an area hospital.

Police are still investigating details of the shooting.

The intended victim's name has not been released.

Washington: Would-be teen burglars arrested in Burien

Burien, Washington

From KOMO of February 7, 2008

Would-be teen burglars arrested in Burien

Four would-be teenage burglars had a bad day on Thursday.

First, the owner of the house they were burglarizing came home and chased them out of his house at gunpoint. Then two of the burglars were caught by police within minutes. Finally, the last two were caught after the area was flooded with King County sheriff's deputies, Burien officers and a police chopper.

The incident began when a man returned to his home in the 16400 block of Ambaum Boulevard South after walking his dog and found a burglar in his kitchen.

As the suspect ran for the front door, he was joined by his three other suspects coming from various areas of the house. The homeowner grabbed his handgun and gave chase.

A passer-by saw the fleeing suspects and pointed out the direction they fled to the homeowner and arriving deputies. Plain-clothes detectives coming into the area spotted two of the four and they were promptly arrested.

During the search for the remaining suspects, the Sheriff's Office received a call from a man in Mount Vernon who said his teenage son had just called him and breathlessly related: "The cops are looking for me ... and they've got a helicopter."

Finally, workers at a nearby townhouse spotted the last two suspects skulking along a fence line. Deputies converged and took them into custody without incident.

The suspects, ages 14, 14, 16, and 17, were from Burien, Mill Creek, and Seattle. All were booked into the Youth Service Center for investigation of burglary.

Missouri: Suspect fatally shot after stabbing guard

Kansas City, Missouri

From the Kansas City Star of February 9, 2008

Suspect fatally shot after stabbing guard

A security guard, stabbed by a shoplifting suspect, fatally shot the man tonight at a busy Brookside intersection, police said.

The guard’s injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Police Sgt. Mike Glass said the guard was working at the Price Chopper at 6327 Brookside Plaza when he saw a man trying to steal something about 8:40 p.m.

The guard chased the suspect about two blocks, to 63rd Street and Wornall Road. The suspect stabbed the guard in the upper body, and the guard then shot the suspect.

The suspect was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The guard also was taken to a hospital.

Mississippi: Jackson Store Clerk Shoots Man Attempting Robbery

Jackson, Mississippi

From WJTV of February 8, 2008

Jackson Store Clerk Shoots Man Attempting Robbery

A man attempting to rob a Jackson store clerk gets more than he bargained for when the would-be victim decides to fight back.

James Nichols was closing up for the day when the incident happened at the All American Check Exchange on Suncrest Drive in south Jackson.

Nichols says an armed man wearing a hood confronted him as was about to get into his truck to head home around 6:30 Friday night.

But Nichols was prepared to protect himself.

"I pulled my gun and he started hollering no don't, and I tried to knock the gun away so that it wouldn't be pointed at me and I fired three times."

Nichols says the suspect then dropped his weapon and ran away. Witnesses tell police the man left in a gold Toyota sedan.

Now police are trying to determine if a man being treated for gunshot wounds at the University Medical Center is the same person that Nichols shot.

Investigators were unable to question him because he was listed in critical condition.

Nichols says he's not sure how many times he may have struck the assailant.

But Nichols says because crime is so common, he never goes anywhere unarmed.

"I hope it doesn't happen again but I will be prepared again if it does."

Florida: Victim Shoots Getaway Vehicle

Largo, Florida

From Tampa Bay Online of February 9, 2008

Victim Shoots Getaway Vehicle

A man fired a gun Wednesday at the getaway vehicle of a burglar who had just broken into his home, and he managed to hit a tire, police said. Authorities say they identified and charged the burglar.

Now they are looking for the vehicle, described as a dark blue GMC Envoy, Lt. Mike Loux said.

The burglary victim and his wife arrived home in the 1500 block of North Peaceful Lane and spotted a sport utility vehicle in their driveway, Loux said.

The wife looked into the unfamiliar vehicle to see whether anyone was inside, Loux said. Nobody was.

The husband thought something was wrong and retrieved a .357-caliber firearm from his glove box, Loux said. The man is licensed to carry a concealed firearm.

The husband opened the garage door and at about the same time noticed someone coming from a side yard toward the driveway, Loux said.

The person hopped into the Envoy and began to back out of the driveway, Loux said. The couple's car was behind the Envoy, and the husband thought the Envoy was going to hit him, his wife or their car, Loux said.

The husband shot twice at the driver's side front tire as the Envoy sped away. Investigators determined the driver of the Envoy had burglarized the couple's home, Loux said.

On Thursday, Largo authorities learned of an arrest by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The man, identified by Largo police as Robert Jacobs, 48, told authorities he burglarized the home and was unaware anyone had fired at the Envoy, Loux said.

Authorities, who did not identify the couple, are still looking for the Envoy. Its Florida license plate number is X835WY.

Detectives also are trying to determine whether Jacobs committed any other burglaries, Loux said.

New Mexico: Belen teen shot after alleged auto break in

Balen, New Mexico

From the Valencia County News Bulletin of February 9, 2008

Belen teen shot after alleged auto break in

A Belen teenager is recovering in an Albuquerque hospital after being shot early Friday morning while allegedly breaking into a vehicle.

Belen Police Detective Richard Perea said a 16-year-old Belen boy is in stable condition at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Perea said the teenager is suffering from wounds to the back of his right arm and leg.

"We got a report of an attempted burglary of a vehicle on La Luz at about midnight on Thursday," Perea said. "The homeowner heard something outside and looked out the window. She told the officers that she saw two individuals who ran off when they saw her looking out."

The detective said the homeowner's husband reported hearing something again at about 3:45 a.m. Perea said the man walked outside with a shotgun and discovered someone inside his Toyota pickup truck.

"He (the homeowner) walked outside and fired one shot at the direction of the suspect, who had fled once the man walked outside of his home," Perea said. "The suspect was hit on the back of his right arm and leg, by a shotgun with bird shot."

Perea said the teenager stumbled, but was able to make it to an awaiting car down the street and left. The homeowner, whose name has not been released, told police later that he wasn't sure if he hit anyone. The detective said that when police arrived, they couldn't find the suspect's vehicle or any evidence that someone had been shot.

It wasn't until a few hours later when an ambulance was called for a gunshot victim at a Belen home that police were able to make the connection, Perea said.

"The driver of the car that left after the attempted burglary, had taken (the suspect) home and then went home himself," Perea said. "A few hours later, (he) called his friend, who picked him up, and took him to his mother's house. She's the one who called 911."

Perea said the case is still under investigation and charges have not yet been filed against the two teenagers. As for the homeowner, the detective said he needs to complete the investigation and conduct a follow-up interview before submitting the case to the district attorney's office for review.

California: Downtown LB Resident Shoots & Kills Alleged Intruder

Long Beach, California

From the Long Beach Report of February 9, 2008

Downtown LB Resident Shoots & Kills Alleged Intruder

On Friday Feb. 8 at about 4:38 p.m., LBPD responded to an incomplete 911 call in a condominium complex in the 200 block of Seaside Way and discovered that a male subject had been fatally shot.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim, a 26 year old man who resided at the complex, was in his home when he discovered a suspect entering his residence through a window.

The victim [resident], fearing for his safety, armed himself and fired at the suspect.

Police immediately responded to the scene along with LBFD Paramedics who pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.

At this time, the suspect is only being identified as a 21 year-old LB resident until next of kin is notified.

Due to the circumstances involved, this incident is being investigated as a justifiable homicide.

Mississippi: Teen set free in shooting death

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Jackson Clarion Ledger of February 6, 2008

Teen set free in shooting death

A Jackson 19-year-old who said he shot and killed a man who had constantly bullied and robbed him is free of a murder charge after a Hinds County grand jury didn't indict him.

Kentarus Christmas was released from the Hinds County Detention Center late Tuesday.

Christmas was charged with murder in the Nov. 10 shooting death of Michael Smith, 21, of Jackson outside a business off East Fortification Street.

"The Lord was working with me. He knew that I wasn't some troubled child out there doing wrong. He stood behind me," Christmas said Tuesday after being released from jail.

But Smith's grandmother, Luezina Smith, said the grand jury's decision not to indict Christmas sends the message that, "If you're afraid, you can go out and kill someone."

Luezina Smith said Christmas should face a murder charge in her grandson's death.

"He shot him down from behind and stood over him and shot him more times," Luezina Smith said.

During Christmas' preliminary hearing in December, his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Matthew Eichelberger, called Michael Smith a thug and said his client deserved a key to the city instead of being in handcuffs.

"This is great news. I'm overjoyed for Ken and his family, and I'm proud of the people of Hinds County for recognizing this for what it was - justifiable homicide," Eichelberger said Tuesday. "Now Ken can go on with his life, free of harassment from both the justice system and Michael Smith."

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith confirmed Tuesday that Christmas wasn't indicted.

Robert Shuler Smith, no relationship to Michael Smith, said he doesn't know why the grand jury didn't indict Christmas but said the grand jury probably took into consideration Smith's criminal history of robbing people.

"I couldn't imagine the grand jury wouldn't take that into consideration," Robert Shuler Smith said.

Jackson police Detective Amos Clinton said he didn't want to call Smith a thug but said police had had run-ins with him.

...


Police said Christmas voluntarily gave a statement confessing to shooting Smith but said there had been an ongoing situation in which Smith had repeatedly robbed and bullied him.

Christmas was apprehended while fleeing the scene the night Smith was shot.

A 9-mm handgun was recovered. Smith, who was shot multiple times, later died at Baptist Medical Center.

Christmas told police Smith had approached him at a barbershop near where the shooting occurred and demanded money. When he told him he didn't have any money, Smith reportedly told him he needed to have someone bring him money.

Christmas told police he followed Smith out of the barbershop door and shot him.

"He said if he didn't do something, the bullying would continue," Clinton testified in Christmas' preliminary hearing.

Florida: Thonotosassa Man Wounded In Gunfight At His Home

Thonotosassa, Florida

From Tampa Bay Online of February 7, 2008

Thonotosassa Man Wounded In Gunfight At His Home

A Thonotosassa man was shot twice early today during a home invasion, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

The gunman has not been caught.

Shortly after 12:30 a.m., a man pushed open a sliding glass door at 3408 Cooper Road and fired a gun, Carter said.

A resident, Grover Cochrane, 59, was shot twice in the arm and pulled out his own gun and fired at the intruder, who escaped, Carter said.

Cochrane's girlfriend saw the shootout, and her name is being withheld by the sheriff's office as a witness.

The victim has been "very uncooperative" with investigators and has not given a description of the attacker, Carter said.

Texas: Store owner fatally shot suspected thief

Houston, Texas

From KTRK of February 7, 2008

Store owner fatally shot suspected thief

The owner of an office supply business shot and killed a would-be thief.

It happened on Reveille and Bradford in southeast Houston. The owner heard someone trying to get into his business at midnight. He went outside with a gun and caught a man trying to steal a trailer parked behind his business.

The would-be thief then tried to run over the business owner with his truck and the business owner fired back through the truck's rear window.

Despite being shot, the suspect kept driving his truck for three blocks until he fell out of his truck and died on the road.

Police officers also found tires in the back of that truck, which may have been stolen.

Texas: Man fights back against would-be robber

Houston, Texas

From KTRK of February 7, 2008

Man fights back against would-be robber

A would-be robber was shot and killed by the person he was trying to rob in the parking lot of a grocery store in southeast Houston.

Investigators told Eyewitness News the would-be robber had the tables turned on him when the person he was trying to rob pulled out his own gun and shot the man.

It was just after 10pm last night when the victim told police he pulled into the parking lot at the H-E-B in the Gulfgate shopping center on Winkler near the Gulf Freeway. Tha'ts when a man walked up to his car and pointed a gun at him. What the robber didn't know is the man had a gun and he retaliated with gunfire.

"He had just parked and as he was about to get out the car, the guy came up to his door," said Sgt. Robert Odom with the Houston Police Department.

"Do you know if he was going to carjack him?" we asked.

"I don't know. He told him to get back in. I don't know what he was planning to do at that point, if he was planning on taking the truck or if he was just going to rob him," said Sgt. Odom.

The would-be robber was shot several times. He tried to get away by jumping into a car that was parked nearby. However, he fell out of the car and later died.

Police did arrest the driver of the car and believe he may be the second suspect in the case.

Montana: Billings man who fired pistol in self-defense released

Billings, Montana

From the Billings Gazette of February 6, 2008

Billings man who fired pistol in self-defense released

A Billings man who was arrested after firing a pistol in a tavern parking lot has been released from the county jail.

Justin Swanz, 26, was freed about 10 hours after his arrest early Tuesday when county prosecutors sent the case back to police for further investigation. Chief Deputy County Attorney Mark Murphy said he could not discuss details of the case, but Swanz claimed in an interview Wednesday that he fired the pistol in self-defense.

Swanz was arrested after police responded about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday to a weapons complaint at Shooters Casino and Sports Bar, 1600 Ave. D.

Officers stopped Swanz as he was leaving the parking lot in a Jeep Cherokee.

Swanz told The Gazette on Wednesday that he fired once into the air as six or seven men advanced on him in the parking lot following a confrontation inside the bar. Swanz said he fired the Taurus .44 Special revolver once.

"They were going to beat me up," Swanz said. "I had no choice but to fire that shot in the air. It was total self-defense."

Swanz said he had arrived at the tavern alone between 10 and 11 p.m. to play pool. He bought a pitcher of beer and played several pool games with another man. Swanz said he went to leave shortly after 1 a.m. and was confronted by men who claimed he owed the other man $1,200 for betting losses on the pool table.

Swanz said he did not bet on the games, but the men threatened him and one man grabbed his pocket knife from his front pants pocket. Swanz was told to leave, so he grabbed his jacket and walked out of the tavern, he said.

As he walked to his car, Swanz said, the men followed and continued to threaten him. When it appeared they were going to attack him, Swanz said, he pulled his pistol from his coat pocket, pointed it into the air and fired one shot. The gunfire stopped the men, although someone threw ice on him, he said.

Swanz said he does not have a concealed weapons permit. Swanz said he is unemployed and he has no criminal record.

Kentucky: Police Say Homeowner Shot Intruder

Whitley County, Kentucky

From WYMT of February 5, 2008

Police Say Homeowner Shot Intruder

A homeowner took things into his own hands overnight in southern Kentucky.

The Whitley County Sheriff's Department says an intruder broke into a home on Highway 204 near Canada Town.

Police say the homeowner was inside at the time and shot the intruder.

Investigators say they found a trail of blood leading into the woods but so far have not found the burglar.

Ohio: Grocer killed with own gun

Lorain, Ohio

From the The Morning Journal of January 31, 2008

Grocer killed with own gun

Lorain grocer Jose Gonzalez was fatally shot with his own gun during a struggle with the suspect in a ''botched robbery'' at Gonzalez's store last Friday, police said.

Gonzales had bought the gun to protect himself and his store following a previous holdup, according to neighbors.

Police said a man armed with a weapon that was not a gun walked into the Gonzalez Grocery at 2522 Lexington Ave. at about 10 a.m. on Jan. 25. A fight ensued between the man and Gonzalez, and Gonzalez's gun somehow got into the hands of the intruder, according to police.

Lorain police Chief Cel Rivera would not specify what weapon police believe suspect Decio Rodrigues, 24, of Lorain, brought to the store, but said it was not a gun. The chief said he does not believe Rodrigues entered the store with the intent to kill Gonzalez.

As the suspect ran from the store with cash in his hand, he was spotted by an Allied Waste worker.

Police released a composite sketch of the suspect shortly after the killing and tips started rolling in.

Lorain detectives worked around the clock with the U.S. Marshal's Violent Fugitive Task Force to capture Rodrigues. He was taken into custody Saturday night and was charged with aggravated murder.

At an arraignment Monday morning, Rodrigues appeared on live video from the Lorain County Jail. Rodrigues kept his head down for most of the proceeding, but when he did look into the camera, he had a black eye and scratches on his face.

Rivera said the injuries were from the struggle that had taken place at the grocery store when Gonzalez was fighting for his life.

Tuesday night, the community gathered with Gonzalez's family to honor his legacy and to protest violence. His son vowed to reopen the store.

Pennsylvania: Police Find Blood Trail From Store To Alleged Robber's Doorstep

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

From NBC10 of February 4, 2008

Police Find Blood Trail From Store To Alleged Robber's Doorstep

It appears an armed robber picked the wrong store to hold up. Police said it's the robber who wound up getting shot.

Authorities were were crediting cooperative witnesses, some good police work and also the store owner with nabbing the suspected robber.

"He said to me, 'Give me all your money. Give me all your money,'" robbery witness Angel Dia said.

But Dia said the armed robber who stormed Antonia's Grocery Sunday night got one heck of a surprise.

"The other guy, the owner, he got a gun, too," Dia said.

Dia said he was standing in the front of the store and the store's owner was behind the bulletproof glass when police allege that 19-year-old Donte Turner pointed a gun at Dia.

"My friend, he says, 'Back, all the way back,' and then the guy shot him," Dia said, pointing to his shoulder. "Then, the guy -- the gun, it fell down. He left it there and he went running."

"He was shot in the arm, so he dropped the gun and just took off?" NBC 10's Deanna Durante asked.

"Yes," Dia replied.

If the story ended there, Turner might still be on the run, according to police. But they said they got to Turner before they knew about the robbery.

"A 19-year-old by the name of Donte Turner showed up at Episcopal Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest. He gave responding officers that were called by hospital officials the story that he was robbed by a male on the highway and it was a dispute over money," said Philadelphia police Lt. Frank Vanore.

Police said they received a second call, this one from Antonia's Grocery, saying two robbers had targeted the store and owner Juan Rosario thought he'd shot one of them.

"There was a trail of blood and a hat found on the highway, and also a semiautomatic handgun. And the blood led down the street onto North 3rd Street," Vanore said.

Police said the blood trail lead them from the store to the doorstep of Turner's house.

"The individual showed up as a victim and lied to police," Vanore said.

Both Dia and Rosario were back at the grocery store Monday. Rosario speaks very little English and didn't want to talk on camera, but his friend said the two have no problem being back at work, even though police said they are still looking for Turner's alleged accomplice.

Asked if he was scared, Dia said, "Who me? No."

Police said Turner -- who was still in the hospital being treated Monday night for a gunshot wound -- has been charged with attempted robbery, aggravated assault and gun counts.

Investigators said that they are still looking into both sides of the case, meaning the store owner with the gun as well as the alleged robbery. Police stressed that deadly force should only be used in the most extreme of circumstances -- when there is no way out, NBC 10's Deanna Durante reported.

Missouri: Burglar Shot In Struggle With Resident

Kansas City, Missouri

From KCTV5 of January 31, 2008

Burglar Shot In Struggle With Resident

A man who lives at a house on East 79th Street came home and saw three men in his home stealing his belongings, Kansas City police said.

He grabbed one of them, who had a gun, and during the struggle, shots were fired.

All three of the men ran away, but one of them was hit.

He got as far as a nearby corner, where he ran into a restaurant and asked for help.

Adrian Gardner, an employee, called 911 and then the shot man passed out on the floor.

Medics and police arrived, and the man was taken to a hospital by ambulance.

Police were still looking for the other two men.

Virginia: Rockbridge County man shoots gun wielding home intruder

Roanoke, Virginia

From WSLS of February 31, 2008

Rockbridge County man shoots gun wielding home intruder

A Rockbridge County man says he was forced to shoot a gun wielding home invader late Wednesday night.

Rockbridge County sheriff R.W. Day confirmed Alan Gould Jr. shot the intruder in the arm with a .44 caliber Magnum revolver.

Day said the case is still under investigation but preliminarily it appears Gould acted in self defense.

It all started around 10:30 PM when Day said Lane Bowling, of Augusta County, burst into Gould’s home holding an automatic handgun with a laser sight.

Gould said that laser was pointed at him.

“I open the bedroom door and he’s pointing a gun at me, threatening to kill me,” Gould recalled Thursday from his property on Granny Lane in the Rockbridge Baths community.

“He was really scary,” Gould said. “He looked like a monster to me.”

Gould said four other friends were with him inside the home.

They were celebrating his girlfriend’s birthday.

Day said Bowling thought his wife might be inside Gould’s home.

Gould said she had been there before “once or twice” and was a friend of a man in which he is renting a room.

Day and Gould said Bowling’s wife was not there when he busted down the front door with a gun.

“I don’t know why he went in the living room,” Gould said.

But at that moment, he thought it was his chance to disable Bowling and his gun.

“He stepped back in front of the doorway of my bedroom. As soon as I saw him I just shot him one time and he fell to the floor.”

Gould said one of his friends at the party then kicked Bowling’s gun away from him after he dropped it when he fell.

Gould said Bowling then got up and stumbled out his front door.

Rescuers called to the scene found Bowling in his truck.

Day said Bowling was shot through the arm and then the bullet clipped part of his ear.

Day said he was in stable condition at a local hospital as of late Thursday morning.

The twist to this story is Alan Gould is a convicted felon and is legally not allowed to have a gun in his home.

Police in Amherst County caught Gould with cocaine and a gun last April.

He was convicted in January and will be sentenced March 10th.

Gould said the drugs and gun weren’t his. He said he was hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Day said that part of the case was still under investigation as well and charges against Bowling are pending.

Alaska: Self-defense may be factor in fatal shooting near Willow

Willow, Alaska

From the Anchorage Daily News of January 26, 2008

Self-defense may be factor in fatal shooting near Willow

Alaska State Troopers are examining the possibility that a man who was killed near Caswell Lake north of Willow on Thursday was shot in self-defense.

Troopers have not yet arrested anyone in connection with the death of Bradley D. Mork, 43. Mork, of Talkeetna, died after being shot in a home driveway, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said Friday.

Though no one has been charged, a male witness, also 43, was walking in the neighborhood with a "couple people" when troopers got to the scene about 20 minutes after the 5:30 p.m. call Thursday, she said. Peters did not identify the witness.

"We have identified someone who was involved in the incident that led up to the shooting, and they've been very helpful," Peters said.

Investigators are discussing the case with the Palmer district attorney to determine whether charges are warranted, she said. There is a possibility the shooting could turn out to be a case of self-defense, she said.

Peters refused to say whether the witness, who was apparently not related to Mork, had admitted shooting him.

She did not know whose home it was and was unsure whether the 911 call that Palmer police received originated from that residence or another in the area. Palmer police relayed the call to troopers.

Peters would not say how many times Mork was shot or what type of gun was used, but said the death was being investigated as a homicide.

The state medical examiner is expected to complete an autopsy on Mork in the next few days while the troopers' investigation continues.

A phone message left for the Palmer district attorney was not returned Friday.

Nevada: Victims Fight Back in Home Invasion

Las Vegas, Nevada

From the Las Vegas Eyewitness News of February 1, 2008

Victims Fight Back in Home Invasion

One robbery suspect is on the loose and another is in the hospital after four victims fought back.

Police say the four victims were barbecuing when two men with guns entered the home. One of the victims said he made a near-fatal mistake by leaving the garage door partially open. The victims, who do not want to be identified for safety reasons, say they ended up fighting for their lives and thought they might die.

"The look in their eyes, especially when they started beating us in the back of the heads with the guns. It was kind of like someone would torture a little animal and then joking about how they were going to love killing us," said one victim.

The men were pinned to the floor with shotguns. "It got ugly when they went back downstairs and decided to tell the women to undress their clothes," the victim added, "The girls were really crying and you could just tell that they were incredibly upset."

The victim told Eyewitness News that one of the suspects who was preparing to sexually assault the women turned his attention away from the guns and let down his guard.

The two male victims saw their opportunity.

"I grabbed him, threw him down on the ground, grabbed a weight from the weight set and smashed him in the head."

The women also joined in the fight, hitting the suspects with a frying pan.

"One of the girls completely nude managed to grab a gun and shoot the guy in the chest area and in the leg."

"She did what she had to do and I have to be thankful that she was able to do what she did and if she didn't I might not be able to give you this story right now."

The suspect who was shot has serious injuries and is in the hospital. The second suspect is on the run and as for the victims, they have minor injuries.

The police are very cautious not to make this seem like a heroic act. They say fighting back can sometimes end with the victims being more seriously hurt.

Nevada: Report: intruder shot in NW Reno

Reno, Nevada

From the Reno Gazette-Journal of February 4, 2008

Report: intruder shot in NW Reno

Reno police responded this morning to a shooting on Chesterfield Lane in Northwest Reno.

Scanner traffic indicates that a resident shot at an intruder at around 7 a.m. The intruder apparently ran away after the shots were fired and has not been located.

The resident has stated that he does not know if he hit the intruder when he fired at him.

More details were not available.